COVID-19 direct contacts tracing (FOI)

​Request

A

How are direct contacts of active cases ascertained at large events where people sit at random seats by choice on arrival?

A recent Chamber of Commerce lunch probably had at least 200 people present, and a QR code for track and trace, but in such a large venue, who needs to be contacted for track and trace when the QR code covers the whole venue, and people may be sitting next to complete strangers and not remember names the next day? Unlike, for instance, a restaurant booking, or an Arts Centre event, or cinema seating where seating is known in advance.

B

Are there any plans being considered for putting in place to help focus more closely on tables rather than entire venues for such events? Has the subject come up at STAC deliberations?

Response

A

Direct Contacts are people who have been within 2 metres of the positive individual for more than 15 minutes. They are identified in 3 ways:

i) the positive individual is asked to make a list of all Direct Contacts, when they are informed they are positive; this is reviewed by the Covid Safe (Contact Tracing) Team, and further questions asked in a structured telephone contact tracing interview, to identify all activities and contacts for the positive cases in the days before their positive PCR test.  

ii) venues should use ‘Trax’ (the contact tracing QR code) or a manual record of those visiting the venue, for example in a booking’s diary or paper record which customers complete when they attend the venue. When a positive case is found, the venues they have visited are contacted and this information is requested.

iii) the COVID App alerts anyone who has been within the Direct Contact proximity of any individual who tests positive.

B

Direct Contacts are people who have been within 2 metres of the positive individual for more than 15 minutes. This means that most Direct Contacts in a venue would probably be seated at the same table as the positive individual, and therefore should be identified as part of the contact tracing interview.

Additionally, it has not been possible to trace any record of any specific plans to require venues to record individuals located at different tables. There are no records held in STAC minutes. This information is not held and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.  

Article applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a) it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b) it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.